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Finally held my ground on a rush fee for the first time
I had a client last Thursday ask for a 12-hour turnaround on a contract rewrite, and instead of saying yes like I usually do I told them it would be $200 extra. They actually agreed to it, which felt pretty good, has anyone else had a similar moment where just asking changed the outcome?
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kellyallen5h ago
@nancyramirez has a good point though, asking for more is the real win here regardless.
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angelamurphy12h ago
Well actually, I have a slight correction for you. That 12 hour turnaround isn't really a rush job. A true rush is like 2 to 4 hours max. 12 hours is just a normal tight deadline for most freelance work, especially for something like a contract rewrite. I can see why you charged extra for it, but I think you might be underselling yourself if you think that's a rush. A real rush is when the client needs it before you even hang up the phone. Still, good on you for asking for more money. It's a smart habit to get into regardless of the timeline.
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nancyramirez7h ago
Oh man, I feel this so hard @angelamurphy! I had a similar thing happen where a client asked for a "quick turnaround" and they meant within the same day, like 8 hours. I charged them extra, same as you, and then later realized I should have charged way more for what they were actually asking. It's kind of a slippery slope, you know? Once you set that bar low, they expect it every time. But yeah, I've definitely learned that even a "tight deadline" like 12 hours is worth a premium just because it messes up your whole schedule.
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